JOHNSON CITY, N.Y. (AP) -- A worker at a sporting goods store tried to kill a spider by burning it and ignited a fire that caused the evacuation of the mall where the store is located.
Police charged Joseph Freer, 23, Binghamton, with fourth-degree arson, a felony, following the fire late Wednesday afternoon at the Champs Sports store in the Oakdale Mall, 80 miles south of Syracuse near Binghamton.
Freer, an assistant manager, doused the spider with a flammable substance and then lit it, said Johnson City Police Capt. Ted Wido. The blaze quickly spread to merchandise in the storage area, eventually engulfing the storage area in flames.
There were no injuries. But smoke from the fire quickly filled the mall, forcing it to close for the day.
The Champs store sustained serious smoke and water damage, Wido said. Several other nearby stores had slight to moderate smoke and water damage, he said.
Information from: The Press & Sun-Bulletin
